‘Check before you travel’: Rail passengers warned in advance of signal testing during bank holiday weekend

Rail passengers are set to face disruption this August bank holiday as signalling testing will be carried out.Network Rail has warned that the Greater Northern line running from Lynn to London King’s Cross will be affected by pioneering digital signalling testing.Passengers are being advised to plan their journeys in advance ahead of pioneering work to test the systems on the East Coast line.

The work is part of continuing work on the £1.4billion East Coast Digital Programme.The programme will see traditional, lineside signals replaced with signalling displayed inside drivers’ cabs, which will mean more reliable journeys and a greener railway for passengers in the future.This is in preparation for trains to run on this route using digital signalling from late 2025. For the testing to be carried out under controlled conditions, the railway needs to be closed in and around the affected section.Rail replacement buses have been organised from Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26. Ed Akers, Network Rail’s industry partnership director, ECDP, said: “The testing work will take us a step closer to the introduction of digital, in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line, which will improve services for passengers and create a more reliable and resilient railway.“We have carefully planned this work to avoid the busiest times of the August Bank Holiday weekend, and where possible passengers may be able to avoid this disruption by travelling before or after Sunday 25 August.“I want to thank those passengers who will be affected for their patience and understanding of this work”.Chris Fowler, network operations and performance director for Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Thameslink and Great Northern trains, added: “With no trains running on a key section of our route between London and Peterborough and Cambridge this August bank holiday, it’s essential that our customers plan ahead and allow plenty of extra time.”